World Vision Australia started the 40 Hour Famine in 1975, making it the big 5-0 this year. 

In 1975, World Vision’s Communications Director, David Longe, had the vision of hundreds of thousands of Australians going hungry for 40 hours to raise money and help feed children around the world. 

For many young Australians, the 40 Hour Famine was the first form of social activism they got involved with. 

More than half the schools in Australia have participated in the 40 Hour Famine at some point in the past 40 years. 

Millions of Australians have participated in the 40 Hour Famine or donated to someone who is participating. 

Over the past 10 years alone, Australians have raised over 12 million dollars for hungry children. 

Australians and New Zealanders are the only youth to tough it out for 40 hours, with other nations participating for 30, 24, 20, 12 and 8 hours. . 

Hunger kills. Nearly half of all deaths in children around the world under five are a result of undernutrition

The first 40 Hour Famine was held in Victoria with more than 16,000 participants raising $570,000.  

By 1978 the 40 Hour Famine was a national event. 

World Vision raised awareness through a nation-wide tour with the Korean Children's Choir and Winifred Atwell in 1979. 

In 1983, (the time before the internet), a phone room was set up to handle the flood of calls to participate in the 40 Hour Famine and later to host TV specials and telethons. 

In 1984, 40 students rode the Melbourne metropolitan rail system for 40 hours.  

In 1986, John Hennessey from the Metropolitan Remand Centre at Long Bay raised $471 in sponsorships from fellow inmates. 

In 1988, 40 Australian teenagers did the 40 Hour Famine on a special Met train that ran for 40 hours, keeping them away from food at home

In 1989, 1990 and 1992, Network 10 and World Vision held live telethons to raise money for the 40 Hour Famine. 

In the nineties, 40 Hour Famine participants spent the night in a 40 Winks shop display while doing the 40 Hour Famine. 

The youngest fundraiser in 1978 was seven-year-old David Cox who admitted he was mighty hungry, "but not nearly as hungry as the poor people in the world". 

Actor Garry McDonald was the first person to sign on as a participant in 1983. He went on a roadshow of Australia, encouraging people to join him in the 40 Hour Famine. 

While fasting in the 1980s, people only consumed water and barley sugars for the entire 40 hours.

In 1992, Sydney students ended their famine by tucking into a huge 13-metre omelette, beating the Guinness World Record of 12.4 metres. 

In 1994, the cast of Neighbours joined the 40 Hour Famine – complete with groovy branded t-shirts and backward caps. 

In 1997, the cast of cult ABC show Heartbreak High had a sleepover at the school where they participated in the 40 Hour Famine. 

The 40 Hour Famine first moved online in 2000. In just one year it went from 1,600 sign-ups to 9,087. 

In 2011, the Big Brother housemates did the 40 Hour Famine in the Big Brother house. 

In 2019, World Vision ran the backpack challenge, inviting Australians to live from a backpack for 40 hours to experience the life of a refugee with limited food, clothing and resources. 

 Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke have both been 40 Hour Famine national patrons. 

Famous Australian sisters, Kylie and Dannii Minogue have both participated in the 40 Hour Famine. 

40 Hour Famine funds have helped communities in Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, China, East Timor, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Laos, Malawi, Niger, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Zimbabwe – and many more. 

Monash University, law student, Tim Costello, did the first 40 Hour Famine in 1975 and later became a CEO of World Vision in 2003. 

In the past 50 years, the 40 Hour Famine has not just fed hungry children but helped to save millions of lives at risk from malnutrition. 

Each year thousands of students participate in the 40 Hour Famine, with one lucky school having the opportunity to go to a sponsorship area in Cambodia.

Some of the celebrities who have taken part in the 40 Hour Famine include Rowena Wallace, Bert Newton, Rebecca Gibney, Andrew Gaze, Craig McLachlan, Jason Donovan, Marina Prior, Ray Martin, Hugh Jackman, Andrew Daddo, Angry Anderson, James Morrison, Dennis Lilley, David Boon, Garry McDonald, Richard Wilkins and Denise Drysdale. 

The most successful 40 Hour Famine fundraising year was 1991 when $7.3 million was raised thanks to a star-studded televised telethon and auction on Network 10 with Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Craig McLachlan, Paul Hogan, Rebecca Gibney, Marina Prior, Steve Vizard, Jana Wendt, John Farnham and cast members of Neighbours, The Flying Doctors and Fast Forward.   

In 2024, total video views of 40 Hour Famine for World Vision Australia on social media were 3.97 million, inspiring a new generation of famine fighters. 

From 2023, Australians could give up not just food, but anything important to them.  

In 2023, World Vision Australia staff got together and walked 40km for their 40 Hour Famine challenge. 

In 2024, Cornerstone College was the highest-performing school in raising funds for hungry children.

The most popular thing people give up today is still food but also ranking highly are phones, gaming, TV, furniture and talking. 

In 2025, we celebrate 50 years of doing the 40 Hour Famine, inviting Australians across generations to participate including the young, old, parents, teachers, kids, workmates and more.